Sowing the seeds of knowledge

In the early days of winter, despite harsh weather conditions and long distances, hundreds of school principals from across the province gathered for the "Talk with Education Managers" program, organized by the UNESCO Center for Training and Development of Culture and Education in collaboration with the Department of Education and Training. The event was not only a professional forum on school management but also opened up a broader perspective on reading culture in schools and building happy schools.

The reading culture gap

Tuyen Quang currently has 1,053 preschool and primary/secondary schools with 509,754 students, including 20 ethnic minority boarding schools and 236 semi-boarding schools. The majority of schools are located in disadvantaged, remote, and border areas. Some schools require students to cross mountain passes and streams to get to school, while classrooms are perched precariously on mountain slopes. Students primarily use textbooks for their studies; reference books, skill-building books, comics, and science books are scarce. Many students in these highland areas are eager to read, but the limited selection of books in school libraries and the lack of emphasis on reading promotion in some areas have caused their reading habits and passion to gradually fade. Meanwhile, reading culture is a crucial "key" to unlocking knowledge, developing critical thinking, and nurturing character. The lack of books, reading spaces, and guidance is a major "gap" facing schools in these highland regions.

Over 600 school principals participated in a reading culture forum for students organized by the UNESCO Center for Cultural and Educational Training and Development in Tuyen Quang.

Mr. Pham Trong Tam, Principal of Ma Le Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Primary School in Lung Cu commune, said: “In recent years, the school has always strived to build a library and organize reading festivals. However, the lack of reading space and a shortage of books in the library makes reading difficult for students.” This is also the common situation of many schools in the area, as the development of reading culture still faces many difficulties due to a lack of both facilities and resources. Many schools and school branches do not have proper libraries, the books are few, old, and not regularly updated. Information technology infrastructure is limited, and unreliable internet makes it difficult to implement digital library models. Ethnic minority students still face language barriers, while difficult economic conditions make buying books a luxury. The remote terrain, the small number of library staff, and the lack of widespread reading habits further hinder the spread of reading culture. Sung Thuy Tien, a student at Meo Vac Boarding School for Secondary and High School Students, shared: “I really enjoy reading. After school, whenever I have time, I go to the school library with my friends to read. We hope to have more diverse books in various fields so we can learn more new knowledge.” Tien's wish also reflects the sentiments of teachers and students in disadvantaged areas, motivating benevolent hearts to strive to bring books to the villages.

Bring books up the mountain.

In the face of overwhelming difficulties, the journey to fill the knowledge gap in mountainous regions requires the collective efforts of the community. For many years, with an educational philosophy based on three roots: Morality - Intellect - Resilience, and considering the building of a reading culture as the foundation for nurturing character, developing intellect, and cultivating resilience in students in mountainous areas, the UNESCO Center for Training and Development of Culture and Education, in collaboration with the Vietnam Intelligence Project, has implemented numerous charitable educational projects, bringing reading culture to remote areas, border regions, and islands. From 2021 to the present, the center has donated more than 110 libraries of valuable books, containing over 38,000 books; organized 1,174 courses, programs, and events to develop reading skills, connecting thousands of parents, teachers, and education administrators in the journey of spreading reading culture.

Students from Bang Lang Secondary School in Bang Lang commune read books in the library.

In Tuyen Quang, the Center has implemented a library project at several schools: Niem Son Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Junior High School, Duong Thuong Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Junior High School, Tam Son Primary School, and Lien Viet Junior High School, helping thousands of students access many new books and develop reading skills. In the recent "Talk with Education Managers" program held in Tuyen Quang province, the most impactful takeaway was the story about the core values ​​of happy education. Building a happy school is not about reducing learning or being lenient with students, but about helping students feel joy, confidence, and be themselves when they come to school; recognizing the usefulness of learning; learning self-discipline and self-reliance; and becoming ethical individuals who contribute to the community. Mr. Tran Viet Quan, Director of the UNESCO Center for Cultural and Educational Training and Development, shared: “To sustainably develop reading culture in mountainous areas, we need to build a model of a happy school linked to three core principles: morality, intellect, and perseverance. Reading activities are also encouraged to be linked to practical experiences such as: storytelling from books, illustrating with drawings, dramatizing literary works, reading during recess, and family reading on weekends. This approach makes reading culture seen as a “gateway to happiness,” where students nurture curiosity, expand their intellect, and cultivate humanistic qualities. And for students to be happy, teachers must first be happy. A happy school is a safe, respectful, and understanding environment where teachers are joyful, students are enthusiastic, and parents are supportive.”

Many schools in the mountainous region of Tuyen Quang have begun to establish "three-character trees," "friendly reading corners," "book corridors," or "wall-painted libraries"—small but creative models that demonstrate the self-effort of teachers and students, gradually creating new movements in reading culture in the highlands. The journey of "bringing books to the mountains" has never been easy, but in these remote villages, children attentively read each page, and seeds of knowledge are quietly taking root thanks to the efforts of teachers, parents, and benevolent hearts. Each book sows more hope for a generation that knows how to dream, how to read, how to learn, and how to take control of their own future.

An Giang

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202511/gieo-mam-tri-thuc-8c94b65/